African American Altar Boy Full Portrait 1920 Real Photo Postcard

The young individual is depicted in typical church vestments: a dark cassock and a white surplice, signifying a role as a choirboy or acolyte within a Christian denomination. Such roles were often foundational in developing musical skills, discipline, and religious instruction for youth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by formal liturgical practices in many American churches.